Chapter 1
Ancient roots of rolling dice
Chapter 2
Chess and the games of war
Chapter 3
The capitalist race of Monopoly
Chapter 4
The modern Eurogame revolution
YOUR GOAL
Master of The history of board games
Ch 2 · Chess and the games of war
schopenhauer Origins of Chess
Long before the queen made her move, elephants and chariots fought for the king!
schopenhauer Xiangqi is a Chinese chess variant played on a grid with a dividing river.
schopenhauer Shatranj was the Persian adaptation of Chaturanga that popularized the game westward.
BETA
schopenhauer Match classic board games with their creators to discover the secret history of tabletop battles.
Fun Fact
Chess terms: The word 'checkmate' comes from the Persian phrase 'Shah mat,' which literally translates to 'the King is helpless'.
Glossary
chaturanga (noun)
An ancient Indian board game widely considered to be the earliest precursor of chess. Originating in the Gupta Empire, its pieces represented the four divisions of the ancient Indian military.
An ancient Indian board game widely considered to be the earliest precursor of chess. Originating in the Gupta Empire, its pieces represented the four divisions of the ancient Indian military.
Quiz
Which pieces in Xiangqi are strictly confined to a three-by-three area called the palace?
Quiz
In Shogi, what happens to most pieces when they successfully reach the opponent's territory?
Quiz
What unique rule in Shogi allows players to use captured enemy pieces as their own?
Quiz
Which feature divides the two halves of the board in Chinese chess, known as Xiangqi?